Methods for ordered delivery of electronic content

• US 6,442,603 B1
• Filed: 11/21/2000
• Issued: 08/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: 3Com Corporation (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Borella, Michael S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, THU HA T
• Application Number:
  US09/718,170
• Time in Patent Office: 644 Days
• Field of Search: 709/202, 709/218, 709/219, 709/223, 709/232, 709/233, 713/201, 345/356, 370/428, 600/558
• US Class Current: 709/218
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents

Abstract

Methods for ordered delivery of electronic content from a computer network such as the Internet or an intranet. Network latencies and the type of electronic content such as text, graphical images, animation, voice, video and other electronic content interact to influence user perception of the quality of information provided. As network latency increases and becomes more variable, users typically become less satisfied. The method dynamically adjusts the amount of electronic content presented to user based on determined network latency by using ordered delivery of electronic content. The method may improve user perception of requested original electronic content by dynamically sending in a predetermined order different types of original electronic content (e.g., text, graphics, tables, etc.) based on a determined network latency. Improved user perception of original electronic content may help attract and retain, students, customers, contributors, etc. to an organization'"'"'s electronic content site on a computer network (e.g., a home page on the Internet or an intranet).

Claims

1. A method for dynamically providing ordered deliver of electronic content over a computer network, comprising the following steps:

receiving a request for original electronic content on a second network device from a first network device via a first network, wherein a plurality of types of electronic content in the original electronic content includes one or more delivery priority tags; and

determining whether a network latency on the first network between the first network device and the second network device exceeds a pre-determined latency value, and if so,

sending to the first network device with a first protocol a first type of electronic content from the original electronic content based on a preferred order of delivery using the one or more delivery priority tags.

2. A computer readable medium having stored therein instructions for causing a central processing unit to execute the method of claim 1.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

sending a second type of original content after sending a first type of electronic content used for navigating in the original electronic content.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the first type of electronic content includes electronic text and the second type of original content includes graphical images, animation or video.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein a preferred order of delivery includes sending a first type of original electronic content used for navigating in the original electronic content before any other type of original electronic content.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the first type of original electronic content used for navigating includes graphical images used for navigation in the original electronic content.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the graphical images used for navigation include a graphical user interface or an image map used for navigation in the original electronic content.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the sending step includes selecting a delivery priority tag with a highest priority for a first type of original electronic content used for navigating in the original electronic content.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the first protocol is Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) or User Datagram Protocol (UDP).

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the first network is the Internet, an intranet, local area network, or a wireless network.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the first network device includes a wireless network device, personal digital assistant, Internet appliance or personal computer.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the second network device includes a web server, proxy server or edge server.

3. The method of claim I further comprising:

sending a second type of original content before sending any of the first type of electronic content.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the first type of electronic content includes electronic text and the second type of original content includes graphical images, animation or video.

15. A method for dynamically providing ordered deliver of electronic tables over a computer network, comprising the following steps:

receiving a request for original electronic content on a second network device from a first network device via a first network, wherein the original electronic content includes an original electronic table;

determining whether a network latency on the first network between the first network device and the second network device exceeds a pre-determined latency value, and if so,

splitting the original electronic table into N-number of smaller tables;

assigning each of the N-number of smaller tables a delivery priority tag; and

sending to the first network device with a first protocol the N-number of smaller tables based on a preferred order of delivery using the delivery priority tags.

16. A computer readable medium having stored therein instructions for causing a central processing unit to execute the method of claim 15.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the first protocol is Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) or User Datagram Protocol (UDP).

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the first network is the Internet, an intranet, local area network, or a wireless network.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the first network device includes a wireless network device, personal digital assistant, Internet appliance or personal computer.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein the second network device includes a web server, proxy server or edge server.

21. The method of claim 15 wherein the electronic table includes a Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML), or Extensible Markup Language (XML) table or a Wireless Markup Language (WML) card.

22. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of splitting the electronic table into N-number of smaller tables includes splitting the electronic table into N-number of smaller tables of approximately equal size.

23. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of splitting the electronic table into N-number of smaller tables includes splitting the electronic table into N-number of smaller tables of other than equal size.

24. The method of claim 15 wherein the splitting step includes splitting the original electronic table into N-number of smaller table data groups using the original electronic table data, wherein the N-number of table data groups are displayed in a same basic orientation as in the original electronic table, but are displayed in a non-tabular format.

25. The method of claim 15 wherein the assigning step includes assigning the N-number of smaller tables delivery priority tags based on a location in the original electronic table.

26. The method of claim 15 wherein the assigning step includes assigning the N-number of smaller tables delivery priority tags based a pre-determined table delivery order different from a location in the original electronic table.